Process for producing, from straw, a liquid suitable for the production of alcohol.



9 w. F. GILES. PROCESS FOR PRODUCING, PROM STRAW, A LIQUID $UITABLE FORTHE PRODUCTION OF ALGOHOL.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 20, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEa WILLIAM F. GILES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK O. NORRIS, OF DETROIT. MICHIGAN.

PROCESS FOR PRODUCING, FROM STRAW, A LIQUID SUITABLE FOR THE PRODUC-TION OF ALCOHDL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. Gnzns, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of New York, in the county and State of NewYork, have inventeo certain new and useful Improvements in Processes forProducing, from Straw, Liquid Suitable for the Production of Alcohol, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in a process of producingalcohol from straw. v It is the special object of my invention toutilize the fermentable matter and substances in straw for theproduction of ethyl alcohol. In order to extract all the substanceswhich may be transformed into saccharine matter I make use of a novelprocess of methodically and progressively extracting these substancesfrom the straw whereby the concentration of the leached out liquid issimultaneously eil ected and may at once be further treated for theproduct on of alcohol without any special concentration. My process ofproducing alcohol from straw may be advantageously used in varioustrades where straw is a raw material before the same is worked upproducing thus the alcohol as a profitable by-product. It is of courseunderstood that straw may be used solely for this purpose in placeswhere same is so abundant that it is burned up in the fields to utilizeits ashes as a fertilizer.

My novel process may be carried out in any suitable apparatus but inorder to make the process entirely clear one form of apparatus isdiagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In carrying out my process of producing alcohol from straw Isubstantially proceed as follows: The straw is placed in the apparatuswhich consists of a multiple of digesters of which siX are shown on thediagrammatical sketch. The straw is preferably out into small pieces ofabout 1%- inch lengths. Now water is pumped into digester marked 1 onthe drawing and steam introduced through the steam pipe at. The straw isthen boiled for one hour at a pressure of about lbs. The singledigesters of the battery are successively connected by pipes and valveswhich are provided between each pair of neighboring digesters. Theipe 1) leading from digester 1 to digester 2 has a valve 0 which remainsclosed during Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 20, 1908.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Serial No. 411,617.

the time of boiling the straw in the first digester. After the straw hasbeen boiled for an hour in the first digester the valve c is opened andthe liquid blown by steam pressure into the digester A fresh supply ofwater is pumped into digester 1 and steam introduced into digester 2through the steam pipe (3 and the straw in both digesters is boiled forthe period of one hour. After this the stronger liquid of digester 2 isblown through the pi e 6 into the digester 3 after opening the va ve fand'the liquid in digester 1 is blown into the digester 2. The straw indigesters 2 and 3 is now boiled for an hour steam being introduced intothe digester 3 through the steam pipe 9. Now the liquid in digester 3 isblown into the digester A through the pipe h after openingthe valve tand the liquid in digester 2 blown into digester 3. The straw indigesters 3 and 4 is now boiled for an hour steam being introducedthrough the steam pipe 7' into digester 4. Then the liquid in digester 4is blown into digester 5 through the pipe 76 after the valve Z wasopened for this purpose. At the same time the liquid in digester 3 isblown into digester 4 and both are boiled for one hour steam beingintroduced through the steam inlet m into the digester 5. After one hourof boiling the liquid in digester 5 is blown into the digester 6 throughthe pipe a after the valve 0 was opened for this purpose and the liquidin digester 4 is blown into digester 5. Then both are boiled for onehour steam being introduced through the steam pipe p into the digester6. When both have been boiled for one hour the valve (1 of the pipe 1'is opened and the liquid in digester 6 is blown into the discharge tank8. Finally the liquid in the digester 5 is blown into the digester 6 andboiled for one hour when it is also discharged into the tank 8.

In the described manner the straw in each digester is leached out twicebut the same liquid is blown from one digester into the other andtherefore the resulting liquid after leaving digester 6 is rather strongas if it had been concentrated. This neutral liquid is usually of about10, Twaddells scale.

Nhen all the liquid has been blown into the. discharge tank it isacidulated, preferably with sulfuric acid, and allowed to rest for about24 hours. During this time the extracted substances are converted intofermentable saccharine matter. Now a suitable ferment is added and afterthe fermentation is finished the alcohol is distilled off. By thisprocess one ton of straw usually yields about 30 gallons of ethylalcohol of 95% or 190 proof.

The straw in the digester is removed through the large pipes t and mayfurther be used in the arts and trades. The alcohol manufactured fromstraw thus is in many instances a profitable by-product.

In the described manner I have provided a novel process of producingalcohol from straw which is simple and inexpensive.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. The process of producing a liquid suitable for the production ofalcohol consisting in leaching out successively separate quantities ofstraw under pressure with the same quantity of boiling water, removingthe concentrated liquid thus obtained, and acidulating the same wherebythe extracted substances are transformed into fermentable matter.

2. The process of producing a liquid suitable for the production ofalcohol consisting in leaching out successively separate quantities ofstraw under pressure with the same quantity of boiling water, removingthe concentrated liquid thus obtained, acidulating the same and allowingit to rest whereby the extracted substances are transformed intofermentable matter, and neutralizing the same.

:3. The process of producin a liquid suitable for the production ofalcohol consisting in leaching out separate quantities of straw underpressure successively with two sepa rate quantities of boiling waterexhausting thereby the straw, collecting the liquids thus obtained,acidulating the united liquid and allowing it to rest whereby theextracted substances are transformed into fermentable matter.

4. The process of producing a liquid suitable for the production ofalcohol consisting in leaching out separate quantities of straw underpressure successively with two sep arate quantities of boiling waterexhausting thereby the straw, collecting the liquids thus obtained,acidulating the united liquid and allowing it to rest whereby theextracted substances are transformed into fermentable matter, andneutralizing the same.

5. The process of producing a liquid suitable for the production ofalcohol consisting in methodically extracting separate quantities ofstraw by leaching out the first quantity under pressure with boilingwater, transferring this liquid to the second quantity, supplying freshwater to the first quantity, boiling both under pressure, transferringthe liquid of the second quantity to the third and the liquid of thefirst to the second, boiling them now under pressure, and so forth,collecting the liquids thus obtained, acidulating the united liquid andallowing it to rest whereby the extracted substances are transformedinto fermentable matter, and neutralizing the same.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 18th day of January, 1908.

WILLIAM F. GILES.

Witnesses:

LUDWIG K Bomvr, CHAS. S. WrrI-nNe'roN.

